Oct. 20, 2011 by Yancey County News

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www.yanceycountynews.com vTo be a voice, and to allow the voices of our community to be heard.v Oct. 20, 2011 W Vol. 1, No. 41

Ingles Markets buys Burnsville land

Jonathan Austin/Yancey County News

Ingles Markets has purchased the shopping center containing its Sav-Mor grocery and Roses Department Store. By Jonathan Austin Yancey County News

Ingles Markets has solidified its hold on existing grocery real estate in Burnsville, recently spending more than $2 million to purchase the Sav-Mor grocery building and the Roses Department store building located on the bypass in Burnsville. According to deeds filed Sept. 30 with the

Yancey County Register of Deeds office, Ingles - headquartered in Swannanoa purchased two parcels, one of over seven acres and one of about 4.5 acres, from M&M Yancey LP of Tennessee. Though the tax values of the properties, which include other brick-andmortar retailers, was listed at over $5 million, the deeds note that Ingles paid $2,350,000 for the property.

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Dispatcher witnessed ballot for man with record of 27 felonies

Governor names Hughes to fill seat on District Court

By Jonathan Austin Yancey County News Longtime Yancey County Clerk of Court F. Warren Hughes has been appointed to fill the term of retired District Judge Bill Leavell. Gov. Bev Perdue appointed Hughes to the bench earlier this week after considering and interviewing three nominees submitted by the 24th Judicial Bar Association. The bar nominated Hughes, former District Judge Kyle D. Austin of Avery County, and Assistant District Attorney Virginia Thompson. “Warren’s years of public service have prepared him well to be an outstanding district court judge.” said Perdue. “He has the intellect, work ethic, and integrity that it takes to succeed on the bench.” Hughes spent 27 years as the clerk of court in Yancey County and has also worked in private practice. He has been active in the State Judicial Council, the North Carolina Courts Commission, the Governor’s Task Force on Driving While Impaired, Hospice of Yancey County and the Yancey Foundation Board. He is also a certified mediator. See page 14

Ron Freeman, the chief financial officer for the mountain-grown grocery chain, said the company has been very happy with its operations in Burnsville, which include the Sav-Mor Grocery brand. “We think its a wise investment. We’re very happy since we put the Sav-Mor in there.”

Susan Austin/Yancey County News

F. Warren Hughes, the former Clerk of Superior Court, has been picked by Gov. Bev Perdue to fill Bill Leavell’s empty seat on the 24th Judicial District bench.

By Jonathan Austin Yancey County News Election records show that a man working as a dispatcher with the Yancey County Sheriff’s Department leading up to the 2010 general election acted as the official witness on an absentee ballot for a man who had been convicted of 27 felonies in only six years. The dispatcher, Austin Wilson, is the witness whose signature apprears on the absentee ballot for Orin John Wilson II, a Burnsville resident who has been previously convicted of 12 felony counts of forgery, 12 felony counts of uttering a forged instrument, felony possession with intent to distribute Schedule II drugs, felony possession of marijuana and felony manufacturing marijuana. The absentee ballot did not identify if the two men are related, and close relatives are supposed to note relationships on the ballot. Orin Wilson had spent most of 2010 behind bars after he violated probation from a driving with license revoked conviction by being arrested again on another charge of DWLR. Convicted January 28, 2010, he was released Aug. 5.

See page 14

Oct. 20, 2011

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Your Schools

Heritage Foresters are (l-r) Teddy Bowers, Luke Gibbs, Damian Mcfarland, Allie Gordon, Autmn McCurry, Courtney Boone, Jordon Briggs, Devin Davis, Blake Elkins, Whitney Bowers, Jacob Shuford, Blake Tschudy, Luke Wilson, Daniel Phillips, Jacob Garland, Tru Buchanan, Shane Murphy and Tyara Peterson.

Heritage FFA forestry teams dominate at regional competition By Whitney Bowers, MHHS FFA Reporter The Mountain Heritage FFA Chapter participated in the West Region FFA Forestry Career Development Event on Oct. 4, held at the Dupont Forest in Hendersonville. The Senior Team (11th & 12th grades) qualified to compete in the State Forestry CDE by finishing 2nd in the region out of 17 teams. Senior team members were Blake Tschudy (4th individually out of 68) and Daniel Phillips (5th individually), Shane Murphy (7th individually), and Courtney Boone (28th individually. Shane Murphy simply said, “I am excited that we placed 2nd in the region; I am ready for state!” The Junior Team (9th & 10th grades) placed 1st in the Region out of 12 teams. They won by an outstanding 106 points. The Junior Team consisted of Blake Elkins (2nd individually out of 46), Allie Gordon (4th individually), Caleb Ledford (4th individually), and Tru Buchanan (6th individually). Tru Buchanan the youngest of the four team members competed in this event for the first time, and he had this to say, “Being the youngest member on the Mountain Heritage FFA Junior Forestry Team

made me feel very nervous, because one false measurement can lose for the whole team. Hearing the announcer call out our team first place lifted a lot of weight off my shoulders, because I knew I contributed to the team.” The top six senior teams in the region qualify to compete in the NC State FFA Forestry Career Development Event held during the 84th State FFA Convention in Raleigh, NC this summer. “Through participation, members gain and strengthen career skills,” says Mountain Heritage FFA Advisor Chad Ayers. The event test students’ skills and knowledge in the area of forest management. Team members must identify twenty live trees from a list of forty, accurately measure the volume of timber in a stand of ten pulpwood and ten saw timber trees and correctly identify 20 pieces of forestry equipment and tools from a list of 44. This year, Heritage finished the highest they ever have in both events. Also, this year is the first year Heritage has won either of the events and also the first year Heritage placed in the top 3 in both events in the same year. We had many alternates that performed very well, as well. They are Damian Mcfarland,

Tyara Peterson, Jacob Garland, Whitney Bowers, Jordon Briggs, Devin Davis, Luke Wilson, Luke Gibbs, Teddy Bowers, Autmn McCurry, Jacob Shuford, and Nathan Kardulis. “We would like to thank Rodger Thompson of the N.C. Forest Service for his assistance with practicing for the equipment identification portion of the contest and Roger Young of River Oak Farms for allowing us to visit his farm to practice tree identification and lumber estimation” stated Ayers. The North Carolina FFA is a youth organization of over 17,000 student members preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture with nearly 250 local chapters across the state. FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. Visit www.ncffa.org for more information. If you would like support the Mountain Heritage FFA Chapter by donating your time, money, knowledge and/or resources, please contact Advisor Chad Ayers at 682-6103.

Burnsville Elementary School fourthgrade teacher Jodi Antinori is shown being honored after being selected as Yancey County’s Teacher of the Year. She i s s h ow n w i t h Superintendent Dr. Tony Tipton and the members o f t h e Ya n c e y County Board of Education.

Oct. 20, 2011

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Opinion

Millions available for rural health care projects The N.C. Rural Economic Development Center and five partnering agencies have announced the availability of $6.5 million to support health care facilities and job creation in rural North Carolina. The six nonprofit and governmental partners are making grants and loans available under an initiative called Rural Hope. The Rural Center has dedicated $3 million for Rural Hope grants over the next year. “Our program alone will create at least 375 jobs in rural communities,” said center President Billy Ray Hall. “On top of that, we’re putting medical facilities in areas where health

care is scarce. That’s two great benefits from a single program.” The Rural Hope initiative was launched two years ago to assist in the construction and renovation of new or existing health care facilities and in the purchase of equipment for health care facilities. Projects receiving awards must create permanent jobs at those facilities. In its first two years, the funding partners have awarded $10 million to 67 projects across the state, resulting in 803 new jobs and leveraging $224 million in additional public and private investments. In 2009, for example, a Rural Center grant assisted Pender

C o u n t y a n d P O RT H u m a n Services with establishing an adolescent treatment facility in Burgaw. The $144,000 grant went toward the construction of the nine-bed center for the treatment of mental health and substance abuse. The total construction cost was $1 million. The facility today employs 13 people. “Although as a nation we don’t like to talk about it, we have a serious issue with substance abuse,” said Tom Savidge, CEO of PORT Human Services. “This facility allows us to offer more intervention and treatment in an area where these services have not been widely available.”

Joining the Rural Center as funding partners this area are the Golden LEAF Foundation, Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, the Appalachian Regional Commission and the USDA Office of Rural Development. The N.C. Office of Rural Health and Community Care also is key partner in the initiative. The partners have adopted a joint application process. As the first step, pre-applications will be accepted through Nov. 7. The partners will then invite competitive projects to submit a full application. Final award determinations will be made in February.

Writer feels nothing is done to get rid of county corruption Corruption runs rampant in the Yancey County Sheriff’s Office while good men and women do nothing but stand by with their hands in their pockets. Many are afraid to speak out. Why wouldn’t they be? After all, the sheriff is the elected constitutional officer responsible for enforcing the laws of North Carolina and Yancey County (taken from the Yancey County website.) He is a very powerful man, don’t you agree? Why would an average citizens act? They see their county commissioners (from both

political parties) do nothing. Our elected district attorney will for sure do nothing (he’s the major problem why nothing is being done about this.) Meanwhile corruption runs rampant. If you could peel away the layers like an onion, the level of corruption here would be mind blowing. I am a normal person. I am well educated, registered unaffiliated and I am non-political. I live here, work here and raise my family here. I own property and I pay taxes, I have no criminal history nor does any of my family.

Just like me, many other people know these things too. I would love to sign this but I can’t. I am afraid to. I love Yancey County flaws and all. But corruption is wrong. Corruption will last as long as it is tolerated. In our county it has been tolerated for far too long. It will take strong, courageous people to change it. Is this any of you? Or are you also part of the problem? I ask that my name not be published.

Hagan salutes bipartisan attitude on ‘No Child Left Behind’ U.S. Sen. Kay R. Hagan emphasized the urgency of this week’s bipartisan efforts to reform No Child Left Behind. Hagan is a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, which will begin work tomorrow on draft legislation, introduced by Chairman Tom Harkin and Ranking Member Mike Enzi, to fix the federal education law. “My colleagues and I will begin the long

overdue process of reauthorizing, reforming and improving No Child Left Behind,” Hagan said. “When nearly a quarter of our children are not graduating from high school on time, and even more do not graduate with the skills needed to succeed, we are failing our next generation. If we do not take serious action to improve our schools and strengthen our education systems, we will undoubtedly fall behind other countries who are making significant investments in education. “I am pleased to say that the bipartisan legislation we will consider this week represents a step forward in ensuring every student can graduate from high school ready for college and a career.

It reflects many of the priorities my moderate Democratic colleagues and I have fought for since March, and includes large parts of both my STAR Act and Secondary School Reform Act that target our lowest performing schools. The bill also helps eliminate the toxic culture of punishing failure instead of rewarding success, puts power and flexibility back in the hands of local education leaders, and makes sure our best teachers serve in the classrooms where they are needed the most.” “I thank Chairman Harkin and Ranking Member Enzi for their efforts. While the draft legislation does not represent all of my goals for reform, it is a good faith, bipartisan approach.”

Take the time now so you don’t regret it later I want to ask everyone to take the time to go through your medicine cabinets, remove any old or unused medications and take them to one of the four drop off points on Saturday, October 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There are two drop-off locations in Yancey County (The Prescription Pad of Burnsville and Celo Health Center) and three in Mitchell County (Bakersville Pharmacy, Hair Affair Red Hill and Spruce Pine CVS). I’ve been in the retail pharmacy business for 21 years and have encountered numerous situations where people have made bad decisions by abusing prescription medications that have been obtained from friends or family members. Many times these were prescribed medications that were not used and therefore ended up in the hands of someone that it was not prescribed for. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist (just read the Times-Journal weekly) to see that misuse of prescription medication is a major issue in our county and country. Please join us on October 29 and let’s do all that we possibly can to remove as many of these unused medications from our homes. I don’t want anyone to look back when a child or loved one has become addicted to a prescribed medication you had in your medicine cabinet and regret it. I would also like to personally thank all the volunteers that are involved in this take back event for making a difference. Anthony Randolph The Prescription Pad of Burnsville

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Obituaries and Kevin Dellinger of Burnsville and a granddaughter, Taylor Dellinger of Burnsville. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday in the Chapel of Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home. The Rev. Charlie Carroway will officiate. Burial will be in the Fred Young Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6 until 8 p.m. Thursday at Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home.

Betty Staley

Deamie Tipton Watts

Deamie Tipton Watts, 92, of Lotties Creek, reached out, took Jesus’ hand and walked into Heaven’s gates on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011, at her home. A native of Yancey County, she was a daughter of the late John Henry and Prince Edwards Tipton, and the wife of Arnold Watts, who passed away in August 2005. She was also preceded in death by a sister, Ida Tipton Howell; brothers: Homer, Chester, Ova, Hoy, Regis and L.V. Tipton; and a grandson, Larry Watts. Deamie leaves a legacy oflove and devotion for family, friends and neighbors. Left to cherish those memories and keep her love alive are her two sons, Jackie Watts and wife, Maria, of Augusta, Ga., and Jim Watts and wife, Alice, of Burnsville; grandson Anthony Watts and wife, Amanda; granddaughter Rhonda Watts; and great-grandchildren Johnathan, Joey, Billy, Abi, Isaiah, Max, Andrew and Ryan. She had many dear, beloved nieces, nephews, friends and neighbors. A special thanks to dear friends, family and neighbors who cared for Deamie in her home during her last days, especially her special caregivers, Mary Dell Penland and Christel Wilson. Funeral was Saturday with the Revs. David Bryant, Denver Styles and Billy Mitchell officiating. A graveside service was in the Watts Cemetery at Lotties Creek. Memorials may be made to Hospice of Yancey County, 856 Georges Fork Road, Burnsville, NC 28714.

Charles Phillip Dellinger Charles Phillip Dellinger, 93, of Micaville, passed away Monday, Oct. 17, 2011, in St. Josephs Hospital. A native of Yancey County, He was a son of the late John and Laura Hensley Dellinger and the husband of Hazel Shelton Dellinger, who died in 1994. He was also preceded in death by a brother, Grover Dellinger, and a sister, Helen Dellinger Silver. He was a partner in Dellinger and Silver Store in Micaville for over 30 years. Surviving are two sons, Randy Dellinger

County, he was a son of the late Benjamin Harrison Chrisawn and Connie Mae Autrey Chrisawn. He was also preceded in death by his brothers, Sherrill and Wayne Chrisawn. He was a Navy veteran, having served during the Vietnam war. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Mars Hill College. He then worked for Asheville Buncombe Community College in business finance until 1989. He worked as Dean of Finance for Alamance Community College until 1992 before moving back to Yancey County to become the finance officer for Toe River Health District. After his retirement in 1998, he became a licensed real estate broker until his declining health. Toby loved gardening, landscaping, and woodworking. Surviving are his wife of 43 years, Norma Jean Sparks Chrisawn, and two sons, Nathan Alden Chrisawn of Winston Salem and Jeremy Wayne Chrisawn of Charlotte. Several nieces and nephews also survive. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, at First Baptist Church of Burnsville. The Rev. Tommy James will officiate. Military honors will follow in the Patton Cemetery. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the funeral service at the church. Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church of Burnsville, P.O. Box 425, Burnsville, NC 28714.

Betty West Staley, 89, of Burnsville, passed away Sunday, Oct. 16, 2011, at Brookside Rehabilitation and Care. Born Sept. 2, 1922, in Moundsville, W. Va., to the late Daddy Bill and Carrie Hipkins West, she was the wife of David Staley, who died in 2008. She and David were married July 25, 1954. Betty was also preceded in death by sisters Ada Lou West and Alice Wood; brothers Ben and Harold West, and her aunt who raised her, Louella Hipkins Honeycutt. She spent much of her life caring for children in her home and at Higgins Memorial United Methodist Church. For many years, she and David enjoyed selling jewelry at the Jamestown Flea Market. Surviving are cousins Willard Maxwell of Missouri, Texas; Glenn Maxwell and wife, Katherine, of Bellaire, Ohio; Ruth Abrigg and husband, Edwin, of Bridgeport, Ohio; and friends Linda Hensley and Helene Moore of Burnsville. Thelma Shepherd Angel Funeral service was Thursday morning in Thelma Shepherd Angel, 97, of the Swiss the Chapel of Holcombe Brothers Funeral community, passed away Sunday, Oct. 16, Home with pastors Don Shuman and 2011, at Mountain Manor Assisted Living. Wes Sharpe officiating. Burial will be in A native of Yancey County, she was a Holcombe Cemetery. daughter of the late Laskey and Maude Waycaster Shepherd, and the wife of William Walton Angel, who died in 2001. Cynthia G. Autrey She was also preceded in death by sisters Cynthia G. Autrey, 48, of Burnsville, Lillie Shepherd and Julia Bennett; brothers went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, Woodrow, J. Olin and Ralph Shepherd; Oct. 16, 2011. She was the daughter of the daughter Alma Jean Buckner; and son-inlate Jerry Clark and Betty Jean St. John law Harold Buckner. Clark. She was also preceded in death by Surviving are a son, Danny D. Angel (Linda) of Burnsville; granddaughters a brother, Edward Clark. Cynthia was a loving mother and Patricia Buckner (Glenn Seabolt) of grandmother who will be greatly missed Nashville, Tenn.; Dolores Buckner Wyatt (Larry) of Marshall, Cindy Buckner by all. Surviving is her loving husband of 18 Edwards (Rick) of Mars Hill; grandsons years, Randall Autrey; children Josh John Mark Angel of Asheville and Jeremy Higgins, Nick Higgins, Jessica McIntosh Angel; great-grandchildren Truman Wyatt, and Timothy Autrey; sister Cathy Pearson, Ashley and Katey Edwards, Austin, Abigail and Summer Angel; a special and 10 grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. on great-great grandson, Bently Eli Edwards; Friday, Oct. 21, in the South Toe Baptist niece Susan Kiser; and nephews the Rev. Church with the Rev. Randy Autrey and the Palma Bennett, Dale Shepherd and Dallas Rev. Ronnie Gouge officiating. Burial will Peterson. Funeral was Tuesday with the Rev. be in the Autrey Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1 until 3 p.m. prior to Palma Bennett officiating. Burial was on the Angel Family Farm on Scronce Creek the service at the church. Road. Memorials may be made to Bethel Alden ‘Toby’ Chrisawn Baptist Church Building Fund, C/O John Alden Benjamin “Toby” Chrisawn, 65, Radford, 395 Shake Rag Road, Mars Hill, of Burnsville, went home to be with the NC 28754. Lord on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011, at See next page St. Josephs Hospital. A native of Yancey

Oct. 20, 2011

Obituaries Pauline Randolph Buchanan

Family Cemetery. Pauline Randolph Buchanan died Memorials may be made to Silver Family Cemetery, c/o William Silver Jr, 262 Sam Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011. She was the daughter of the late Malone Gouge Road, Bakersville, NC, 28705, or and Phoebe Randolph. She was preceded in to a charity of the donor’s choice. death by her siblings, Mary Garland, Alberta Joseph Inman Ramsey, Elmer Sparks, Ike Randolph, Joseph Oliver Inman, 84, of Swiss Pine George Randolph, W. S Randolph, John Randolph, Tommy Randolph, and Riley Court, Spruce Pine, died Monday, Oct. 17, 2011, at the Blue Ridge Regional Hospital. Randolph. She is survived by her grandsons, Jonathan Born on July 9, 1927 in Whiteville, he Buchanan and wife, Nicole, of Clayton; was the son of the late Clarence Benjamin Joshua Buchanan, of Greensboro; daughter- and Mable Benton Inman. In addition to his in-law Dena Keesee of Stokesdale; several parents, he was preceded in death by five nieces, nephews, great nephews, great brothers; Clarence Inman Jr., Gene Inman, nieces, great-great nephews and great-great Richard Inman, Jack Inman, and Charles nieces and two great-great-great nephews. Inman, and a sister; Peggy Donmyer. He Funeral was Saturday, Oct. 15, with Chris was a Navy veteran of World War II, having served in the European and Pacific theaters. Rathbone officiating. Memorials may be made to Gideons He was a member of the First Baptist International Mitchell County Camp PO Church of Spruce Pine. A service to celebrate his life will be held Box 611 Spruce Pine NC 28777. on Saturday, Oct. 22, at 4 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Spruce Pine with James Beatrice ‘Bea’ Pulver Beatrice “Bea” Pulver, 87, of Burnsville, Acuff and the Rev. Matthew Costner and passed away Friday, Oct. 14, 2011, at the the Rev. Curt Bomar officiating. Survivors include his wife of 60 years, John F. Keever Solace Center in Asheville. A native of Interlaken, N.Y., she was the Martha Benton Inman; two daughters, daughter of the late Clinton and Lillian Jo Ellen Puckett and husband, Jim, Pell. In addition to her parents, she was of Huntersville, and Sharon Flint and preceded in death by her husband, Jay husband, Gordon of Lexington, Va.; two granddaughters, Elizabeth Jane Puckett Pulver, whom passed away in 2004. Surviving are her sons, Joel Pulver and of Raleigh and Katherine Graham Puckett wife, Cathe, and Jay Scott Pulver and wife, of Huntersville; a grandson, Alexander Bonnie, all of Burnsville, and Jan Pulver Gordon Flint of Lexington, Va.; and and wife, Tess, of Hawaii; sister Enid a brother, Patrick Thomas Inman of Miller of Florida; three grandchildren and Greenville, S.C. two great-grandchildren. Sharon Whitson A memorial service was held Sunday, Oct. 16. Donations may be made in her honor to CarePartners Hospice, 68 Sweeten Sharon Whitson, 57, of Henredon Plant Road , Spruce Pine, passed away on Creek Road, Asheville, NC 28803. Sunday, Oct. 16, 2011, at the Blue Ridge Ruth Emma Robinson Silver Regional Hospital. Born Oct. 20, 1953, in McDowell County, Ruth Emma Robinson Silver, 93, of she was the daughter of the late Alaska Grindstaff Road, Bakersville, passed away Biddix Mace. She was a member of the October 17, 2011, at the Brian Center in Altapass Church of God and worked there as a vacation bible school teacher. Spruce Pine. The funeral was Wednesday at the She was born in Mitchell County to the Altapass Church of God with the Rev. late Clyde and Della Stafford Robinson. She was a homemaker and member of Kona Cameron Smith officiating. Interment followed in the McKinney Gap Cemetery. Missionary Baptist Church. Survivors include daughter Wanda Survivors include her husband of 35 Freeman and husband, Tom, of Spruce years, Ronnie Whitson; a daughter, Amy Pine; son William Silver Jr. and wife, Michelle Moore and husband, Brad, of Brenda, of Bakersville; grandchildren Spruce Pine; a son, Christopher E. Whitson Mark Silver, John Silver, Jennifer Foxx, and wife, Danielle, of Spruce Pine; a sister; Corrie Freeman, Sarah Freeman, and Carolyn Dellinger and husband, T.J., of Will Freeman and Hannah Shepard, and Newland; close cousins Venita Williams, great-grandchildren Andrew Freeman, Diane Hughes, Brenda Ray, Sylvia Fortner, Thomas Shepard, Jackson Foxx, Makayla Elizabeth Barnhill, Rita Burleson, Charlotte Gouge, and Joan Forbes. Silver, Annali Silver and Riley Silver. She was preceded in death by her husband, William George Silver, her son, Wayne Silver, brothers Homer, Paul, Marvin, and Kenneth Robinson, sister Lovie Grindstaff, and five infant brothers and sisters. Funeral was Wednesday with Jerry Robinson, Paul Silver, and Randy Bonner officiating. Interment followed in the Silver

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Ingles buys property From the front According to media reports, the company operates 193 Ingles Markets and nine Sav-Mor stores. Industry observers say Ingles often sites a Sav-Mor in a location abandoned by another grocery chains to not only increase market share but also to negate the opportunity for other grocery companies to enter a market. The purchase of the Burnsville property fits with company goals as outlined in its annual financial report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. According to the company’s 10-K report, “real estate ownership is an important component of the company’s operations. The company owns and operates 70 shopping centers, of which 58 contain an Ingles supermarket, and owns 93 additional properties that contain a free-standing Ingles store. Shopping center ownership provides tenant income and can enhance store traffic through the presence of additional products and services that complement grocery store operations.” But the Ingles purchase of the property might prove less than desirable news for one other retailer located at the site, according to a market analysis written by Brad Thomas, a specialist in commercial real estate who authored “Ingles Markets: What Makes It Something Special?” for the Seeking Alpha website in January 2011. “As evidenced by the number of Ingles free-standing store sites, the grocery, drug store, and dollar store categories have evolved into a similar free-standing box strategy and Ingles pioneered this innovative concept many years ago. In many of its company owned stores it is unlikely to see a competing dollar store or drug store within the boundaries of an Ingles’ owned property.” If Thomas is correct, that might prove difficult for the future of the Dollar General store located near the center of the shopping center. But Freeman wouldn’t discuss future plans, including the possibility that the company might build a larger Ingles complex with gas pumps on the hill. “We’ve got a corporate policy that we can’t talk about any future store plans until we start construction. We’ve found that to be a good rule of thumb.”

Yancey County News does not charge to run obituaries. So remember to ask your advisor to email the obituary to us.

Oct. 20, 2011

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UARA Racing

UARA drivers zero in on race at Newport Speedway

UARA cars run three deep, which is about how they are ranked in points going into the race at Newport.

The UARA-STARS has raised the stakes and has each of their drivers on their toes going into Newport Speedway on Saturday. With three races to go, the series announced that Saturday night’s race will be a double-points event. With the cancellation of the race at Ace in September, officials were concerned that some teams may not have been able to earn their full point potential and wanted to provide an avenue for their competitors to do so. This announcement holds the potential to significantly shake up the point standings and create a tense and highly competitive end to the season. Brennan Poole has been at the top of the standings board all season with George Miedecke, Kyle Grissom and David Roberts trailing right behind him. If things don’t go smoothly for Poole at Newport, any of the chasing drivers could realistically become the 2011 UARA Champion. In fact, the point lead could even change hands following Newport if the right circumstances present themselves. One of the drivers in the series that has been quietly climbing up the points ladder is

Workshop addresses agritourism benefits

The Very Small Business Center in Marshall, along with the Madison County Cooperative Extension Service, will be hosting an agritourism workshop on Nov. 8 from 6-9 p.m. at the extension office. Experts from the N.C. Department Agriculture, local agritourism businesses and business specialists will share useful resources as well as address challenges related to permits, regulations, planning, developing and marketing successful agritourism enterprises. To register please call 828-649-2411.

Newport’s fan favorite, Kaleb Pressley. With his recent success of two consecutive topfive finishes, he looks forward to heading to familiar racing territory and the challenges of a double points race. “We have a lot of momentum right now with our runner up finish at Lonesome Pine and fifth place finish at Greenville,” said the 2008 Newport track champion who finished third in the tour’s last visit to Newport earlier this year. “Having the double points race could be good for us, it could really help us gain some positions, but it could also hurt us if we get tore up in a wreck. We are going come out strong and hopefully get us a win out there for my fans.” Pressley currently sits ninth in points and has plenty of experience at Newport that could help to move him up the standings. His team will have some work to do, however, after an accident in Sunday’s Dwight Huffman Memorial at Hickory Motor Speedway. Pressley’s only car suffered substantial cosmetic damage in a race that saw multiple UARA drivers experience misfortune. Andy Mercer and Kyle Grissom were involved in

Community Center plans annual yard sale

The Celo Community Center annual yard sale will be held Saturday, Oct. 22, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at 36 Sweet Cider Lane, located off Seven Mile Ridge Road in the old Celo Health Center Building.

Free inspirational movie screening on Nov. 8

Graham Children’s Health Services, Yancey County Schools and the Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force are sponsoring a free viewing of the movie “Forever Strong” on Tuesday, Nov. 8, at

a couple of incidents during the event that damaged their cars significantly. UARA standouts Candace Muzny and Ronnie Bassett, Jr., had top-three runs with Bassett taking the win. In other off-week action, the winner from the UARA’s first visit to Newport earlier this season, Garrett Campbell, led Alex Yontz to the finish line at Caraway Speedway. Spectator gates open at 4pm for the UARA event at Newport Speedway this Saturday. The traditional UARA on-track autograph session and pit party is scheduled to begin at 5:15pm with racing starting at 6pm.The UARA feature will roll off as the second race of the five-race program. Along with the UARA 150 lap event will be the Street Stocks 35 laps, BM Modifieds 30 laps, Legends 20 laps and FWD 25 laps. It will be a great fall evening with plenty of action. For more information on the UARA-STARS, visit them online at uara-stars.com, or call (828) 692-3833. Fans can also follow the UARA on Twitter (@uarastars) or Facebook under the United Auto Racing Association.

6:30 p.m. at Yancey Theatre. “Forever Stron”g is an inspirational true story about a talented but troubled high school rugby player who loses his position as the star of an Arizona rugby team when he is sentenced to a boys’ juvenile detention center. The story has a strong message about loyalty to family and the team, respect and honor, rising above your mistakes, and service to others. “Forever Strong” is rated PG-13. Viewer discretion is advised, as the film includes some disturbing images that depict the negative consequences of teen alcohol and illegal drug use.

Church schedules golf tournament for mission

The Mt.Pleasant Baptist Church golf tournament will be held at Grassy Creek Golf Course on Nov. 5. The tournament, which will benefit foreign missions to Uzhgorod, Ukraine, begins with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. It is Captain’s choice format, and $200 per team entry fee. Prizes will be awarded, including gift certificates for the pro shop. For information and registration call 828-206-0059 or call the pro shop at 828-765-7436.

Oct. 20, 2011

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Tim Tipton helps pets get the love they need By Jonathan Austin Yancey County News

Tim Tipton has been promoted to executive director of the Yancey Humane Society, and the county native has definite plans on what he wants to accomplish in the new position. “What I want to focus on now is the spay/neuter program,” he said earlier this week while enjoying a moment sitting out in the society’s gazebo in the dog walk area. “Having dogs and cats neutered means less intake” for the a g e n c y, h e s a i d , because it cuts the number of unwanted pets being generated. Ti p t o n s a i d t h e society has received a g e n er o us g ra nt to help defray the costs of spaying and neutering pets. With the grant money, the society has brought the cost of spaying or neutering a dog down to $10, spaying a female cat to $25,

and neutering male cats to $10, he said. “The funds are limited, but right now we have money available.” Ti p t o n s a i d t h e society, located at 962 Cane River School Road, has “increased adoptions by 40 percent” in the past two years, using the Internet to connect to pet lovers around the region and even in other states. That exposure, along with weekly features in the newspaper, gives each animal in the shelter a better chance for adoption, he said. But limiting the number of animals that must be adopted is the main goal, and that is where the neutering services make an impact, eliminating multiple possible generations of unwanted pets. The society is using a newly purchased van to transport animals to Asheville for surgery, he said,

and the availability of grant monies to offset the expenses is great. “We want to use (the grant) up as quickly as possible, because we can reapply” for more money, Tipton said. The Yancey society can process a large number of spay/ neuters due to its involvement with the Humane Alliance, an Asheville-based agency that partners with shelters and animal societies in 23 counties to provide spay/neuter at a low cost. “They’re t h e l a rg e s t s p a y / neuter facility in the country,” Tipton said, and a great benefit to Yancey pet owners needing affordable neutering for their animals. He said the society takes 40 pets a month for surgery at the Asheville alliance Marianne Luft, the assistant to the executive director at the alliance, said

Tim Tipton with kennel technicians Julie Tipton and Haley Miller. In rear is YHS Veterinarian Dr. Bill Sampson.

organizations like the Yancey Humane Society “are really the backbone of our clinic. About 80 percent of the animals we sterilize here come from” agencies out in the small communities.”The mountain’s share of the work comes from those agencies.” Tipton said what he and his agency need most from the community is that they “pass the word about the spay/neuter program. Have their animals fixed; it’s not cost prohibitive.”

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE, YANCEY COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION Administrator / Executor notice Having qualified as Administrator, of the estate of Phillip Robinson of Yancey County of North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before 13th day of January 2012 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate please make immediate payment. This the 10th day of October 2011 Charles Carroll 45 Sensational Drive Burnsville, NC 28714

Isn’t it nice to have a newspaper in Yancey that actually gives you news to read? A paper that thinks there’s more to journalism than copying and pasting press releases onto the page? A paper that prints news based on facts and the truth, rather than whether or not it involves their friends? Isn’t it nice?

Yancey County News

Oct. 20, 2011

â&#x20AC;˘ yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

Rebels undefeated conference, Tri-County Bowl champs

The Cane River Middle School Rebels football team beat Harris Middle School under the lights at Mountain Heritage High School this week 40-22 to win the Tri-County Bowl Championship. Congratulations, Rebels!

PHOTOS BY BRETT HOPSON

Oct. 20, 2011

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Cougars watch victory slip away on the flutter of a flag When it came down to it, Mountain Heritage Coach Joey Robinson says the Cougars gave everything they could last Friday in their attempt to come from behind to beat Mitchell at home. The Mountaineers walked away with a 31-28 victory after leading 24-7 in the second quarter. It turned, Robinson said, on what appeared to be a Heritage interception that was flagged for interference. “The interference call was a game-changing call,” he said. “ I’m not saying it changed the outcome, but it changed the game.

This important announcement provided free by the Yancey

County News

It took all the momentum out of us. We’d scored twice, and were ready to again. But we lost the momentum. Heritage travels this Friday to Avery to take on an explosive team with a ‘phenomenal’ quarterback, Robinson said.

Oct. 20, 2011

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SCIENCE NEWS Mind-reading computer system may help paralyzed people communicate Imagine living a life in which you are completely aware of the world around you but you’re prevented from engaging in it because you are completely paralyzed. Even speaking is impossible. For an estimated 50,000 Americans, this is a harsh reality. It’s called locked-in syndrome, a condition in which people with normal cognitive brain activity suffer severe paralysis, often from injuries or an illness such as Lou Gehrig’s disease. “Locked-in people are unable to move at all except possibly their eyes, and so they’re left with no means of communication but they are fully conscious,” says Boston University neuroscientist Frank Guenther. Guenther works with the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Center of Excellence for Learning in Education, Science and Technology (CELEST), which is made up of eight private and public institutions, mostly in the Boston area. Its purpose is to synthesize the experimental modeling and technological approaches to research in order to understand how the brain learns as a whole system. In particular, Guenther’s research is looking at how brain regions interact, with the hope of melding mind and machine, and ultimately making life much better for people with locked-in syndrome. “People who have no other means of communication can start to control a computer that can produce words for them or they can manipulate what happens in a robot and allow them to interact with the world,” Guenther says about his research. His team demonstrated two experiments on the day Science Nation stopped by. In one experiment, run by assistant

Gary Meek/Georgia Tech Researchers have developed an experimental tongue-based system that may allow individuals with debilitating disabilities to control wheelchairs, computers and other devices with relative ease and no sophistication.

research professor Jonathan Brumberg, a volunteer shows how she uses a speech synthesizer to make vowel sounds just by thinking about moving a hand or foot. She never moves her body or says anything. “We use an EEG cap to read the brain signals coming from her brain through her scalp,” explains Brumberg, who tracks the brainwaves with a computer. “Depending on what body part she imagines moving, the cursor moves in different directions on the screen. Brumberg explains that he is able to, “translate those brain activities into audio signals that can be used to drive a voice synthesizer. We’ve mapped the “uw” sound to a left hand movement, the “aa” sound to right hand movement, and the “iy” sound to a foot movement.” As the subject sits perfectly still, the cursor starts to move freely across the screen. Each

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Share them with us and we’ll show the world how great a photographer you are! email them to Jonathan@ yanceycounty news.com

applied to people that have other communication disorders that cause them to be unable to speak,” he says. “This sort of thing would allow them to produce synthetic speech, which could be used to talk to the people around them and mention their needs.” In another experiment, graduate student Sean Lorenz takes a robot out for a spin using only brainwaves. The checkerboards on the sides of the screen flash at slightly different frequencies. To the naked eye, the differences are subtle. “But the neurons in his visual cortex start firing in synchrony with the checkerboard he’s looking at and so we can pick up the frequency and from that, determine which choice he was trying to make, left, right, forward or backward, for example.” explains Guenther. For locked-in patients, Guenther adds, “If they’re pointing their eyes at a visual screen, they can focus their attention on one of

of those sounds is represented by three circles on a computer screen. The subject needs to get the cursor into the center of any of the three circles to get the synthesizer to make the right vowel sound. We watch as the subject imagines moving her left hand to get the cursor to move right into the center of the “uw” circle, and we hear a synthetic “uw” droning from the synthesizer. B r u m b e rg h a s experimented on locked-in patients, too, and the results have been startling. “We started with John Consoli/University of Maryland helping a locked- Jose Contreras-Vidal, an associate professor of in patient regain kinesiology at the University of Maryland, and his an ability to make team have created a non-invasive, sensor-lined cap c e r t a i n v o w e l that forms a “brain computer interface” that one day sounds and that could control computers, robotic prosthetic limbs, was amazing. He motorized wheelchairs, and even digital avatars. The hasn’t been able to researchers successfully used EEG brain signals to talk in years and reconstruct the complex 3-D movements of the ankle, the first time he knee and hip joints during human treadmill walking. made a movement In two earlier studies, they showed similar results for with our formant 3-D hand movement, and they also showed subjects synthesizer, he wearing a brain cap could control a computer cursor with their thoughts. nearly, you know, jumped out of his chair with the different frequencies and they excitement,” says Brumberg. can manipulate what happens in a “Although the patient has no actual robot or in a computer.” According to Guenther it’s just voluntary movement, involuntary a matter of time before these motor actions are often seen when technologies are commercially the patient gets excited.” Guenther says this technology available. It’s all part of a vision holds great promise not just for that pairs biology with technology locked-in patients. “We hope to find a way out - or those who these technologies would be are locked-in.

Oct. 20, 2011

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Outdoors

Teaching the joys of nature

L a s t y e a r, N o r t h Carolina registered 505,530 licensed hunters. This was the most since 1994 and continues a trend in which each year since 2002 the number of licensed hunters has increased. While it is encouraging to see our numbers go up, they still fall behind in the overall picture as far as percentage compared to population growth. Getting our youth, as well as adults, in the outdoors to participate in activities such as hunting and fishing is imperative to keep the heritage alive. As mentioned in the past, there are far more distractions and other activities for the population these days than in the past. Television with hundreds of channels, game consoles and systems, and computers all compete to keep our youth occupied. Other factors challenging the outdoor heritage are environmental groups distaste for hunting and fishing. I use environmental groups loosely. Let me explain a little before continuing with the point. Hunters and fishermen/women provide funds for wildlife conservation, gamelands, studies, even preservation areas, amongst other programs through purchases of licenses, stamps, excise taxes through the PittmanRobertson act, memberships and donations through conservations groups such as Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, Quail Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Boone and Crockett, Pope and Young, and many more than can be listed. In other words, outdoorsmen and women provide the majority of funds to protect both wildlife and land. They are the true environmentalists. Meanwhile, other groups seeking to stop hunting and fishing, claim to be environmental organizations. Back to the point. As recently as August 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was petitioned to ban all lead products used for hunting and fishing under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA). The EPA responded they did not have authority under the TSCA to activate such a ban. Currently there is a bill asking for the EPA to be granted that authority. Kind of a back-door approach to allow the EPA the power to ban ammunition without having it go through Congress. Referenced in many of these reports are the effects of lead shot on mourning dove populations. Lead was banned for waterfowl back in 1991 due to effects on the duck, geese, and swan populations. Researching studies on dove myself, there are studies saying dove populations have been effected by anywhere from .2% to as high as 6.4%. I believe the difference in percentages may be based on locality. It is estimated there are between 1.2 and 1.6 million dove hunters in the United States accounting for 19-21 million birds harvested each season. The ammunition of choice is lead shot which accounts for 75% of shotgun shells sold each year. Here is where the assault on potential new hunters, as well as existing

hunters comes in. A box of 25 shells of 7 ½ lead shot, the typical purchase for dove ammunition, costs roughly $6. On opening day of dove season, a hunter, especially a new hunter, can easily shoot 100 shells equating to roughly $24 worth of ammunition. The primary alternative to lead is steel shot. In comparison, a box of 25 shells of steel shot costs roughly $25. This equates to $100 worth of ammunition. This does not include and shells used for practicing by shooting skeet or clay pigeons. The large increase in costs would severely deter new hunters. Shotshells would not be the only ammunition regulated either. Most hunting cartridges consist of a lead projectile. A young hunter’s first rifle is often a .22 caliber. Ammunition is cheap, so the youth can become familiar with the operation of the rifle by shooting many times. A box of 100 .22 cartridges runs approximately $7.50. Changing the composition of the bullet could increase the cost by 4 times that amount. Again, the increase would likely eliminate many new hunters first excursion, or at least repeated excursions into the outdoors. What we must do is look at this issue as a whole. If we go to an overall ban on lead, the numbers of hunters will surely decrease, causing us to lose massive amounts of funding through license sales and excise taxes (Pittman-Robertson Act). These funds will either no longer provide the conservation efforts needed for our environment or they will have to be supplemented from other avenues in government (overall taxes). Also, with a decrease in hunters, less game will be taken. A raise in limits on game would not provide enough control, as the ammunition would still be too costly to take only a limited numbers of game animals. Wildlife biologists are charged with the task of determining the mortality rates of the different game animals, and if lead is effecting populations such as dove to a detrimental level, then limits should be adjusted downward. However, it was not long ago dove limits were increased from 12 to 15 birds per day, indication the population has grown. Perhaps the answer is not to ban all lead ammunition and fishing equipment. If there are areas in particular that are affected in an adverse way, the local/state governments can and should regulate. But to ban all may have an effect that is much more detrimental than the effect of lead. Bill Howard is a Hunter Education and a Bowhunter Education Instructor, a wildlife representative and the BCRS program chairman for the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, and an avid outdoorsman. He can be reached at billhoward outdoors@gmail. com.

Bill Howard’s

Outdoors

Fly fishing expo starts Nov. 5

The 3rd Annual WNC Fly Fishing Expo kicks off Nov. 5 at the WNC Agricultural Center. Western North Carolina is blessed with altitude, clean streams, wild trout and consequently, an abundance of people who love to fly fish. The WNC Fly Fishing Expo is a two-day fly fishing extravaganza providing anglers a forum to learn the very latest news and innovations in their sport. “This event appeals to fly fishers of all levels,” said expo organizer Frank Smith. “Whether you are an advanced angler looking for the latest gear, or a beginner who is ready to get the waders wet, there is something for everyone at this show. And we have brought in a new group of experts (for) a variety of fly fishing related programs.” The lineup for the event features even more exhibits and speakers than previous years. For those who want to learn more about fly fishing, a distinguished roster of experts will hold programs and presentations throughout the weekend (visit www.wncflyfishingexpo. com for more information.) Presenters include outdoor and fly fishing author Jim Casada; advocate Tim Landis, an instrumental figure in protecting wild fish on the South Holston; fly fishing instructor Star Nolan; Capt. Paul Rose, a pro at sightfishing for carp; Bill Strickland, expert on the secrets of the Davison River; strike indicator developer Steven Vorkapich; and Beau Beasley, who will introduce folks to trout fishing in Virginia. Pair these top notch programs with fly tying and casting demonstrations from expert instructors, and attendees have the opportunity to learn just about everything there is to know about fly fishing. Nationally known manufacturers such as Abel, Orvis, Sage, Simms and Fishpond will showcase the newest gear. Area fishing lodges and guide outfitters will give advice about where to fish; organizations dedicated to protecting trout waters and habitat will discuss current issues and initiatives; and more than a dozen fly shops from all over WNC will have every piece of gear imaginable for sale. The show opens on Saturday at 9 a.m. and runs until 5 p.m., then continues on Sunday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Tickets are available at the door and are $10 for adults and free for children under 16.. Saturday features a local beer tasting with Asheville’s own Highland Brewing Company. The tasting lasts from 2:30 p.m. until 5 p.m. and 12 Bones will be on site throughout the event, cooking up barbeque for hungry expo attendees.

Oct. 20, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

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State has money to save farms County governments and nonprofit groups pursuing farmland preservation projects can apply for funding assistance from the N.C. Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler has announced. Applications and guidelines for the 2012 funding cycle are available online at www. ncadfp.org or by calling (919) 707-3071. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Dec. 15. “The trust fund seeks to foster the growth, development and sustainability of family farms by supporting projects that encourage the preservation of qualifying agricultural, horticultural and forest lands,” Troxler said. The trust fund has an appropriation of $1.7 million for each of the next two fiscal years. Grants can be awarded to secure agricultural conservation easements on lands used for agricultural production; to support public and private enterprise programs that promote profitable and sustainable agricultural, horticultural and forestland activities; and for the development of agricultural plans.

Oct. 20, 2011

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Family

Training rats is way easier than raising kids

By John Rosemond

Once upon a time, I thought, as did and still do many if not most people in my profession, that behavior modification was going to make the discipline of a child as simple and straightforward as teaching a rat to run a maze. I should have known better. As a graduate student in psychology, I had trained a rat to run a maze. Indeed, it was simple. At the same time, I was struggling to discipline our first child, then a toddler. That wasn’t simple at all. Ignoring his misbehavior didn’t work. Neither did punishing him; nor did rewarding him when he behaved properly. In fact, the more I tried to discipline him using behavior modificationbased methods, the worse his behavior became. I realized, belatedly, that he was trying to tell me something: to wit, the principles that govern the behavior of a rat do not govern the behavior of a human being. A rat is subject to the force of reward and punishment. A human is not. Reward a child for obedience and he is likely to turn right around and disobey the first chance he gets. Punish a child for misbehaving and the misbehavior may get worse. This is not because the child carries a gene that makes him impervious to “normal forms of discipline.” It is because of all the species on the planet, only human beings are capable of acting deliberately contrary to their best interests, even when they know where their best interests lie. (The tale about lemming hordes committing mass suicide by running off cliffs is a myth.) That’s why the toddler and many a contemporary teen (as opposed the typical teen of 60-plus years ago) both boast that they will submit to no one’s authority. This is a selfdestructive impulse because it is clearly in the best interest of a child to submit to legitimate adult authority, beginning with his parents’ authority. The research finds that the happiest children are also the most obedient children, and that obedient children tend to have parents who score high on measures of

Living with children authority. In other words, parents who are most comfortable with the responsibility of providing authority to children tend to raise the happiest kids. These are parents who go about the discipline of their children without great fanfare. Yelling, threatening, inconsistency - those are the hallmarks of parents who do not have a firm grip on their authority, who do not therefore know how to convey it in a calmly compelling way. The more clear a parent is concerning his/her expectations, the more likely it is the child will obey. Say what you mean and mean what you say, and communicate your expectations in the least number of words. The more words you employ, the more it appears that you are pleading as opposed to directing. And while “Because I said so” is sometimes a legitimate response to a child’s demand to know why your expectations, limits, and prohibitions are what they are, it is also necessary that a child eventually come to understand the moral principles behind your decisions. That “moral compass” endows your decisions with a coherence and consistency that would otherwise be absent. There is nothing more exasperating to a child than a parent who zigs and zags all over the parenting playing field, whose decisions can’t be predicted because they rest on no solid foundation. The term “behavior modification” has been a distraction because it implies that the discipline of a child is all about proper behavior. In fact, the discipline of a child is all about shaping his or her character. Proper behavior will follow of its own accord. Family psychologist John Rosemond answers parents’ questions on his website at www. rosemond.com.

Land transactions These are the land transactions with tax stamps filed at the Yancey County Register of Deeds office between Sept. 19, 2011, and Oct. 14, 2011. Value is determined from the taxes paid on the transaction. Sept. 19, 2011, $170, Robert Steven Anglin and Monica Anglin to Roxanna and Lon Austin, 7.623 acres, Banks Creek Road Sept. 22, 2011, $148, Steve and Linda Biddix to Angie Bouknight Wofford, .8 acres, Twilight Way, South Toe. Sept. 22, 201, $136, Donny Laws to Jose Martin Garcia Chavez, lots 1,2 and 3, Block O, S.M. Bennett Addition, Burnsville. Sept. 23, 2011, $220, the Anna Hickman Living Trust to Kevin and Jennifer Thomason, .364 acre, Long View Drive. Sept. 27, 2011, $265, trustees of the John A. Bates Revocable Management Trust to Frank and Terry Mendicino, Lot 9A, Cattail Creek Mountain Farm, Sept. 27, 2011, $930, Lawrence and Marsha Buckles and Kent and Valerie Forster to Grant and Sonya Goodman, .27 acres, lots 104, 105 and 106, Wolf Laurel Heights, 832 Flame Azalea Lane. Sept. 28, 2011, $450, Daniel Matthew and Amanda Willis to Joseph P. III and Nadine Arnold, Lot 19, Chestnut Hill Estates, Sept. 29, 2011, $20, Marilyn D, .Gibson to Nicolas and Lynn Grados, Lot 1-H, Mount Mitchell Acres, South Toe. Sept. 29, 2011, $500, Daniel and Grace Allen to Darren and Tracy Edwards, 13.47 acres, Windy River Ridge Road, Crabtree township. Sept. 29, 2011, $54, Brad and Miriam Erickson to Patricia Marshall, 1.878 acres, Lot 2, Little Celo Mountain, South Toe. Sept. 29, 2011, $10, Bald Mountain Development Corporation to The Lodge at Blue Ridge Condominium Association, Lot 4, Bucktown Section, Wolf Laurel Heights. Sept. 30, 2011, $2,475 ($1,237,500) M&M Yancey LP, dba M&M Yancey to Ingles Markets, 7.13 acres, property known as the Roses tract on U.S. 19E bypass (Sam Mishu, president M&M, Knox County Tenn) Burger King to Dogwood Lane, along the BiLo Rite-Aid tract and Dogwood Lane to Evans Line and U.S. 19E bypass right of way Sept. 30, 2011, $2,225 ($1,112,500) M&M Investments to Ingles Markets, 4,46 acres on Dogwood Lane. Sept. 30, 2011, $450, Donald and Loyce Raber to Christopher Mencis, Unit 201, Building D, Camps in Creekside Condominiums. Sept. 30, 2011, $150, Lloyd Silvers to Howard and J. Michelle Arnold, 2.65 acres, State Road 1144. Oct. 3, 2011, $3, Henry and Betty Landsberger to Donald and Allison Hill, 2/35th interest in Unit II, Lot H, Alpine Village Condominium. Oct. 4, 2011, $30, Edd and Carolyn Robinson to Julia Blevins, 1.739 acres, Snow Ridge Road, Crabtree. Oct. 6, 2011, $355, William and Mary Ann Hendrick to Eric and Andrea Stem, lot 318, sections 7,8 and 9, Wolf Laurel Heights. Oct. 7, 2011, $130, Robert and Sally Ann Hayes to Edward Dale Justus, lot 40, unit 1, Mount Mitchell Lands on South Toe River Road. Oct. 7, 2011, $224, Deborah and Don Ford, Danny and Teresa Martin and Sandra Martin and William Martin to William and Dalila Martin, .45 acre, Longview Road, Burnsville. Oct. 10, 2011, $100, Farrell and Anna Lou Hughes and F. Warren and Patti Hughes to Jared and Jessica Douglas, lot 11, Blackberry Ridge, Cane River. Oct. 11, 2011, $580, Edward and Ulrike Poppeliers to John and Linda Powell, 9.8 acres NCSR 1416, Jacks Creek. Oct. 14, 2011, $30, the Mary E. Howe Trust to Thomas Hood and Anne Sheridan, lot 329, Wolf Laurel Heights. Oct. 14, 2011, $3, ($1,050) Deyton Bend Methodist Church, 339 Ollie Lane, Green Mountain, to NC Department of Transportation, a parcel on Double Island Road. Oct. 14, 2011, $1,250, Vivien Phillips to NC Department of Transportation, a parcel on Double Island Road in Brush Creek. Oct. 14, 2011, $434, Mike and Donna Rose Dillard to Tarivell LLC, unit A-102, Camps at Creek Condominium, Mountain Air Country Club. Oct. 14, 201, $190, Theresa Bentivegna to Thomas and Sheila Floyd, 2.39 acres, state road 1312, Brush Creek. Oct. 14, 2011, $86, Sharon Hoppes, Phyllis McMahan and Virginia and Roger Miller to Jody A. Whitson, 7.25 acres on Arbuckle Road. Oct. 14, 2011, $240, Wayne and Louis Wheeler to Michael and Anna McCart, Lot 6, Jacks Creek township. Oct. 14, 2011, $910, Dale and Jill Austin to Oscar III and Amy Weinmeister, Lot 25, Chestnut Hill Estates.

Oct. 20, 2011

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Additional information discovered about sheriff’s employees witnessing ballots From the front B ut a closer lo o k a t th e Department of Corrections records suggest Orin Wilson shouldn’t have even been out of jail when he registered to vote in July 2007. The DOC records show he was convicted in November 2006 of felony possession of schedule II drugs and sentenced to no less than 10 months and no more than 12 months behind bars. He was released after less than seven months in prison on June 9, 2007, and registered to vote on July 16. If he had served the minimum sentence, he would have still been in prison until September of that year. The fact that the sheriff ’s dispatcher witnessed the perennial felon’s ballot follows a pattern of law officers signing as the witness on votes for residents whose prior relationship with law officers appear to have mostly been as the suspect being arrested on a variety of felony or misdemeanor charges including drug felonies, multiple drunk driving arrests, resisting

arrest, and larceny. The law officers were acting as witnesses in the general election in which their boss, the interim sheriff appointed to fill out his retiring father’s term in office, faced a tough opponent who actually ended up winning most of the votes cast on election day. The sheriff won by 325 votes on the strength of the absentee ballots. As previously reported, voters have told this newspaper that a ranking officer in the sheriff’s department supplied them with their absentee ballots, witnessed their vote and then took the completed ballots with her when she left. If that was the case, she violated election laws. Any adult can witness a mail-in absentee ballot, but records show that some individuals working for the sheriff acted as witnesses on more than 100 ballots. Those actions likely are part of the criminal investigation into absentee balloting that was

initiated by state authorities even before the polls closed on election day. Aside from those votes, this newspaper has proven that felons who had not regained their right to vote were allowed to do so in the 2010 general election. The Yancey County News studied court dockets from the period immediately prior to the general election and found evidence that at least four felons who were prohibited by law from voting actually did vote, and their votes were counted. State law says that someone convicted of a felony automatically regains voting rights when they complete all of the court requirements of their sentence, including their probation or parole. Records show

that these four people were still on probation. One of later those told a newspaper employee that he voted illegally because then-chief deputy Tom Farmer had offered to reduce an outstanding ticket in return for the vote. All of these actions are likely part of the criminal investigation that began, officials say, after after numerous Yancey County residents called the state board of elections to complain that they saw abuses and questionable activity leading up to the general election. If any of the ballots in question were straight ticket votes, then the investigation could rise to the federal level because two federal offices - that of U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative - were on the ballot in the 2010 general election.

Police announce arrest of 5 on multiple drug charges

Hughes appointed to the bench From the front I n t e r v i e w e d We d n e s d a y morning, Hughes said he is honored to fill Leavell’s seat. Leavell, who was re-elected in 2010, retired for medical reasons. Hughes retired from his career as clerk of court effective April 1, and returned to private practice with Bailey and Bailey in Burnsville. “In April I wasn’t expecting anything like this,” he said. “I’m excited about the opportunity, but at the same time I feel for Judge Leavell and his family.”

Hughes received his undergraduate degree from Western Carolina University, and his law degree from North Carolina Central University School of Law. He said he expects to be sworn in at the end of the month, and will serve in Avery, Madison, Mitchell, Watauga and Yancey counties. “You’re assigned to specific sessions,” Hughes said. “You’re not given a specific courtroom. Hughes is the son of Farrell and Anna Lou Hughes and is married to Patti Hughes, a school nurse in the county. They have a daughter, Lilly, a student at UNCChapel Hill. “I’m looking forward to serving the citizens of the 24th Judicial District, and representing Yancey County as its first District Court judge,” he said.

Lerma

Hensley

Hall

The Burnsville Police Department issued a press last Friday outlining the arrest of five people on drug charges. Arrested were: • Maricela Lerma, 35, of Spellbound Lane in Burnsville was arrested and charged with nine counts of trafficking in opium or heroin (Hydrocodone), three counts of possession of a Schedule II drug (Hydrocodone), three counts of possession with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver a Schedule II drug (Hydrocodone), three counts of maintaining a vehicle\dwelling place for the sale of controlled substances, three counts of manufacture, sell or delivery of a Schedule II drug (Hydrocodone) within 1,000 feet of a school, three counts of manufacture, sell or deliver a Schedule II drug (Hydrocodone). In the press release, Police Chief Brian Buchanan said Lerma was charged with selling the prescription pills out of her place of business on East Main Street in Burnsville. • Charles Robert Hensley, 22, of Simms Fork Road in Burnsville was arrested and charged with four counts of trafficking in opium or heroin (Hydrocodone), possession with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver a Schedule II drug (Hydrocodone), possession of a Schedule II drug (Hydrocodone), sell or delivery of a Schedule II drug (Hydrocodone), and maintaining a vehicle\dwelling place for the sale of controlled substances. • Ronlesley Luther “Bam” Smith, 27, of Lincoln Park Road in Burnsville was arrested and charged with two counts of simple possession of a

Smith

Laws

Schedule II drug (Oxycodone), two counts of possession with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver a Schedule II drug (Oxycodone), two counts of sell or delivery of a Schedule II drug (Oxycodone), simple possession of Schedule II controlled substances (Oxycodone),and ,manufacture, sell or deliver a Schedule II drug (Oxycodone) within 1,000 feet of a park. • Joni Boings Laws, 27, of South Toe School Road , Burnsville was arrested and charged with fur counts of trafficking in opium or heroin(Hydrocodone), three counts of possession with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver a Schedule II drug (Hydrocodone), three counts of possession of a Schedule II drug (Hydrocodone), three counts of sell or deliver a Schedule II drug (Hydrocodone), three counts of maintaining a vehicle\dwelling place for the sale of controlled substances. • Danielle Juliana Hall, 21 , of Horton Hill Road in Burnsville was arrested and charged with two counts possession with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver a Schedule II drug (Hydrocodone), two counts possession of a Schedule II drug (Hydrocodone), two counts of sell or deliver a Schedule II drug (Hydrocodone), two counts of maintaining a vehicle\dwelling place for the sale of controlled substances. Buchanan noted in the press release that the arrests were a joint operation of the Burnsville Police Department and the Yancey County Sheriff’s Office.

Oct. 20, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 15

What’stoeatattheelementaryschools? Friday, Oct 21

Monday, Oct 24

Tuesday, Oct 25

Wed., Oct 26

Thurs., Oct 27

Friday, Oct 28

Breakfast Scrambled Eggs Toast/Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast Biscuit w/Jelly Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast Waffles Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast Sausage Biscuit Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast Chix Biscuit Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast Breakfast Pizza Toast/Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Lunch Sloppy Joe San’wich/ Cheese Quesadillas/ California Veggies/ Spicy Pinto Beans/ Peaches/Pears Milk

Lunch SW Chix Nachos/ Mini Corn Dogs/ Carrot Sticks/Baked Beans/Blueberry Apple Crisps/Fruit Cocktail Milk

Lunch Turkey Pie/Chix Biscuits/Potato Rounds/Green Beans/Spiced Baked Apples.Peaches Milk

Lunch Salisbury Steak/ Chix Nuggets/Roll/ Mashed Potatoes/ Peas/Applesauce/ Pears Milk

Lunch Spaghetti/Roll/ Pepperoni Pizza/ Salad/Corn/Fruit/ Fruit Cocktail Milk

Lunch Beef Tacos/Fish Nuggets/Cornbread/ Salad/Spicy Pinto Beans/Pineapple Bits/Mandarin Oranges Milk

Food for thought for middle school Friday, Oct 21

Monday, Oct 24

Tuesday, Oct 25

Wed., Oct 26

Thurs., Oct 27

Friday, Oct 28

Breakfast Chix Biscuit Biscuit w/Jelly Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast Biscuit w/Jelly Chix Biscuit Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast Sausage Biscuit Waffles Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast Breakfast Pizza Sausage Biscuit Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast Sausage Biscuit Breakfast Pizza Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Lunch Sloppy Joe San’Wich Cheese Quesadilla/ Stuffed Crust Pizza/ California Veggies/ Spicy Pinto Beans/ Peaches/Pears Milk

Breakfast Pancakes Chix Biscuit Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Lunch SW Chix Nachos/ Mini Corn Dogs/ Stuffed Crust Pizza/ Carrot Stix/Baked Beans/B.Berry Apple Crisp/Fruit CocktailMilk

Lunch Turkey Pie/Chix Biscuits/Stuffed Crust Pizza/Potato Rounds/Green Beans/Spiced Apples/Peaches Milk

Lunch Salisbury Steak/Chix Nuggets/Roll/Chix Quesadilla/Mashed Potatoes/Peas/ Applesauce/Pears Milk

Lunch Spaghetti/Roll/ Pepperoni Pizza/ Chix Fingers/Salad/ Corn/Fruit/Fruit Cocktail Milk

Lunch Beef Tacos/ Fish Nuggets/ Chix Quesod’o/ Cornbread/Salad/ Spicy Pinto Beans/ Pineapple Bits/ Mandarin Oranges/ Milk

Chowing down at Mountain Heritage Friday, Oct 21